Artificial limb.



E. SWEENEY.

ARTIFICIAL LIME.

AYPLICATION FILED JULY l0. l9!!- Patented June 4, 1918.

INVENTOR ATTORN EY Alb '. ii g;

EDWARD SWEENEY, 0F NORRIST-OWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

ARTIFICIAL LIMB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 4, 1918.

Application filed J'ul'y 1o, 1917. Seria1'No.-179,716.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD SWEENEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at 762 Kohn street, Norristown, in the county of Montgomery and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Artificial Limbs, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to artificial limbs, and has for an object to provide an artificlal limb particularly embodying a foot portion, which can be easily applied; consists of few and simple parts that Wlll not readily wear out; will afford ease in walking, and furthermore, is so arranged and constructed that when a shoe is subsequently fitted over the foot portion, the disability of the person having the artificial limb Wlll not be noticed in walking, and the entire arrangemenu will present a neat appearance; the artificial limb furthermore embodying sultable cushioning means whereby to afford ease. in manipulation, and a natural movement to the artificial foot portion.

The invention embodies among other features an artificial limb adapted to what is known as the Chopart construction, in which the foot portion having previously been severed from the limb, leaving merely a stump at the lower part, permits of the adaptation of my particular form of foot element to the amputation, in order to efiect the desired result.

In the further disclosure of the 1nvention reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, constituting a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the views, and in which Figure 1 is a side elevation showing my device applied to a limb.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken through the structure shown in F g. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional v1ew taken on the line 8-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 41 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line H of Fig. 2.

Referring more particularly to the views I disclose a limb 10 of a person from which the foot has been severed at the lower part, namely, at the point 11, this being what is known as the Chopart construction, leaving the stump 12 of the limb. The invention consists more particularly of a sole or bottom 13 of rubber or leather, said sole underlying a fiat spring plate 14: at the rear end of which is a transverse hinge 15- numarch20, preferably solid, being also arranged within the casing 18, and formed with a vertical curved limb-embracing portion 21, secured by suitable straps 22, said portion 21 being hinged at 15. An interposed layer of some soft material, such as cotton, indicated by the numeral 23, is arranged between the arch portion 20 and the lower part of the limb 10 in order to reduce to a minimum any friction, and cushion' the'limb against the inner part of tlie arch. I

It will be noted that the toe cushion 19 projects out beyond the front end of the toe casing 18, in order that a bending movement can be obtained at this point, and it will also be seen that the rear end of the casing 18 at the point where it meets the limb-embracing portion 21, is encircled by an interfitted rubber or other flexible band 24.

'With the construction set forth, it will be seen that the foot described can readily be used in the same manner as the natural foot, allowing the bending at the forward part of the heel, and along the line where the foot ordinarily would bend in walking, so that the foot can be raised along the toe, and then re-deposited upon the ground with the heel first in the natural manner. It will be seen that the forward part of the arch 20 reposes within the rubber toe cushion 19 so as to give a cushioning effect against the limb during the walking action. The plate 14 may be suitably ribbed, as shown at 25, in order to make it as light as possible, and at the same time give it the required elasticity or flexibility and it will be clearly seen that with a construction of this character, there will be no material noise in the walking operation, due to the cushion sole 13 which is beneath and covers the flexible plate, and in fact is vulcanized or otherwise secured thereto.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that the device described consists of few and simple parts, can be cheaply manufactured, and when properly applied to the amputated limb will afford the desired result.

It will of course be understood that I do not limit myself to'the particular form of securing means for holding the artificial limb on the natural limb, and that various slight changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims. Having described my invention I claim:

1. In a device of the character described,

the combination with a flexible sole portion,

of a toe casing attached to the sole portion, a cushion in the toe casing, an arch pivoted to the sole portion and extending into the toe casing to cooperate with the cushion therein, an attaching member formed with the arch, and a cushioned heel portion.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with a flexible sole portion, of an underlying cushion sole, a toe casing attached to the sole portion, an arch pivoted to the sole portion, an attaching member projecting upwardly from the arch, means for permitting of a bending movement between the attaching member and arch, and a the combination with a flexible sole portion cushion in the toe casing and having the arch associated therewit 3. In a device of the character described, a flexible ribbed sole portion, a toe casing therefor, a combined arch and attaching plate pivoted to the sole portion, a cushion in the toe casing and engaged by the arch, and a heel cushion on the rear end of said sole portion.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination with a flexible sole portion, of a toe casing attached thereto, an arch pivoted to the sole portion and projecting into the toe casing, and a cushion in the toe casing and having one portion engaged by the forward part of the arch, and the other portion projecting beyond the front end of the toe casing.

5. In a device of the character described,

including a pair of hingedly onnected plates, a toe casing therefor, anarch pivoted at the point of pivotal connection of said plate, an attaching plate associated with the arch and means for establishing a bending movement between the arch and said attaching member.

I In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

EDWARD SWEENEY.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. O. 

